Senate passes legislation to expand Shiloh National Military Park

U.S. Senators Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) said the Senate on Tuesday passed legislation to expand Shiloh National Military Park.
They say this will help attract more visitors to Tennessee, boost local economies, and protect the site for future generations.
“Learning from the past helps us become better Americans in the future, and preserving and protecting these sites will allow future generations to learn their history by walking these fields,” Alexander said. “Expanding the park will also provide an opportunity to attract more visitors to Tennessee and boost local economies. I’m glad the Senate passed this legislation today.”

Drummer boys during a 2017 battle reenactment near Shiloh Park

“Expanding Shiloh National Military Park and giving these sites the resources needed for their upkeep is a crucial part of maintaining Tennessee’s military history,” Blackburn said. “I look forward to seeing our National Park System grow in Tennessee.”
Alexander and Blackburn introduced the Shiloh National Military Park Boundary Adjustment and Parker’s Crossroads Battlefield Designation Act on Jan. 16. The legislation, which was included in the Natural Resources Management Act, passed the Senate by a vote of 92-8. The U.S. House of Representatives will now consider the legislation. Alexander is a cosponsor of the Natural Resources Management Act.
The Shiloh National Military Park Boundary Adjustment and Parker’s Crossroads Battlefield Designation Act would designate battlefields at Davis Bridge and Fallen Timbers in Tennessee, and Russell House in Tennessee and Mississippi, as part of the Shiloh National Military Park.
The legislation also designates Parker’s Crossroads as an affiliated area of the National Park System. The National Park Service has already determined that these battlefields are nationally significant and in need of preservation and protection. The majority of the land included in this legislation is currently owned by the State of Tennessee and the Civil War Trust.
Alexander and Blackburn also introduced the Shiloh National Military Park Boundary Adjustment and Parker’s Crossroads Battlefield Designation Act last Congress.

Shiloh National M. Park is part of my childhood-teen years. My mother loved the park. We used to attend the Memorial Day Gospel Music signings. My late husband and I often visited there while dating. We loved the beauty of the Park and the meaning behind it. This is a National Historic Park. It should be expanded. It should be advertised. The people in those graves gave their lives for a battle that never should have been fought. The loved ones left behind suffered greatly, as did the entire country. We must never forget this Great Park and the price the people paid with their lives.